VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOIUNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIESFACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES wollcs LE THU HA USING GAMES TO ENHANCE SIXTH- GRADE STUDENTS’ GRAMMAR
Significance Of the StUY .- - c1 11v vn ng HH ng rệt 4 1.7 Organization 0oối vi 7n
The researcher expects that the results of this study will be beneficial to students, teachers, schools, and other researchers accordingly.
For students, the study aims to help students improve their English grammar competence.
For teachers, the research can be used as a means to implement language games in lessons and make teaching and learning more innovative and exciting In addition, the results can serve as a guide for teachers in teaching grammar to young students in the future.
For schools, research can become a source of innovation in teaching and learning, especially in the teaching of English grammar
For other researchers, the study can provide a reference for those who wish to conduct further research in teaching English grammar.
The thesis is divided into 5 chapters:
Chapter 1 - Introduction presents an overview of the studies, which includes the rationale, studies goals and objectives, studies questions, scope,significance, methods, and organization of the thesis.
Chapter 2 - Literature Review affords the theoretical framework and evaluate preceding research associated with the topic.
Chapter 3 - Methodology restates the study questions and description the studies approach, procedures, context, participants, research instruments, research procedures, and evaluation process.
Chapter 4 - Findings and Discussion describes the findings and discusses when it comes to the studies questions and present studies.
Chapter 5 - Conclusion recapitulates the study, affords concluding remarks, discusses pedagogical implications, secondarylights boundaries of the study, and gives recommendations for following studies.
LITERATURE REVIEẨW HH He, 6 2.1 General overview Of SrAMMAL - c2 33213 E+#EESeeEeeeeereerrrerrreee 6 2.1.1 Definition of ri 00 ae
The importance of grammar in learning English . ô+5 7 2.1.3 Grammar learning for young ẽ€arTI€TS - ô+ ô+ + Ê+Ê+eeseeeeees 7 2.2 General Overview Of ỉIT€SĐ .- + 2 119v v1 v.v vn rệc 9 2.2.1 Definition Of ỉaIn€S, - - + ng rệt 9 2.2.2 Impacts of games on learning << + + ++s£sseesseeesxe 10 2.3 Games implementation for young chiẽdren ô-ôô+ss++s+s+ 15 2.3.1 When to USC ZAMES .oo.ồ"ồ".ồ."^ 15 2.3.2 Which ứgames tO USC eeeeesseessecssecesceesseceseeeseeeseecsseseseeeseeesseeseeeseeees 15 2.3.3 Implementing games in the cẽaSSTOOIM - 5 ô+5 Ê++Ê++ÊÊ+eÊesx+ 17 2.4 Review of the previous Studies - Gv ng ng re 19
The importance of English grammar is undeniable For example, after conducting a thorough analysis of 49 studies, Norris and Ortega (2000) conclude that teaching grammar is the key to improving language proficiency overall An additional instance is the research conducted by Scheffler and Cinciata (2011), which focused on the ways in which grammar instruction can support second language acquisition According to Scheffler and Cinciata (2011), grammar rules contribute to learners' overall learning process and sense of confidence as they help them achieve their grammar output (p 22). The relationship between grammar and writing is the subject of a recent study by Jones, Myhill, and Bailey (2013) They discovered via their research that teaching students contextualized grammar had a positive impact on the quality of their writing.
Overall, it is proved that grammar teaching is crucial in the context of learning English as a second language.
2.1.3 Grammar learning for young learners
There has been an agreement among a number of authors in the field of teaching English to young learners, for example Cameron 2001 and Pinter
2006, that the natural acquisition of grammar through instruction is possible Pinter (2006) argues that these are children who are susceptible to many grammatical errors in their early language exposure, including their first
7 language In fact, it is normal for young students to make mistakes and are not always due to negative transfer from the L1 Teachers therefore need to guide students to approach language structures in many different ways so that students can later use those grammatical patterns effectively in communication.
When teaching grammar to students at a young age, to be effective, you need to pay attention to the characteristics of this age group: play and fun. These can be achieved from the starting point of organizing fun activities in the classroom and limiting grammar explanations Teaching grammar purely by giving theories and formulas will bore children because they do not yet understand abstractions (Sekelj and Rigo, 2011: 190) If teachers do this, it will be ineffective, with children automatically translating into their mother tongue or first language instead of learning the structure Teachers should find ways to make students understand knowledge unconsciously instead of explaining it directly to them.
Another characteristic of young students is that they will be more willing to accept new information if they can relate this information to what is presented to them (Brumfit, Moon, and Tongue, 1995: 2) Instructions given to students should be clear and simple Young students will not be able to understand what they should do if the instructions are long and complicated. Instructions will be better if they are accompanied by examples or expressed through actions and movements The best teaching methods for young children should include a set of activities that stimulate the senses (hearing, seeing) to make things come alive Games related to movement always excite students, making them more proactive and active with the lesson Teaching grammar through games, because of this, is believed to help increase students’ interest in the lesson, thereby helping to increase students' grammatical abilities.
The term game has been defined differently by many authors; However, within the scope of this study, which is about games used in the English classroom, the definitions given below revolve around this context.
First, evem n though games are used by teachers in the classroom with the purpose of helping students practice a certain part of knowledge, the game must always ensure its minimum essence: having rules , has goals and brings joy and enjoyment.
A definition of a game has been given by Hadfield (2001, p 1) “an activity with rules, a goal and an element of fun.” This means, the games are not chaotic but follow the rules and they always have a goal They are used to practice language points or explore new target languages, etc in a comfortable atmosphere.
Wright et al (2006, p 1) defined a game as “an activity which is entertaining and engaging, often challenging, and an activity which the learners play and usually interact with others.” This definition also applies to language games Greenall (1984, p 6) also brought a similar idea when he said that “the term ‘game’ is used whenever there is an element of competition between individual students or teams in a language activity”.
Language games are defined by Richards et al (1992, p 153) as structured activities that typically have the following characteristics: a specific task or objective, a set of rules, player competition, and spoken or written language communication between players.
According to the two definitions given above by Wright and Greenall, students typically play games in groups or pairs and aim to win This is a difficult game feature that also motivates students to talk and interact with
9 their partners, increasing the likelihood that they will use English more frequently to accomplish their objectives So students have fun, entertainment and language learning at the same time Of course, the above topics will not be achieved if the teacher/game organizer does not organize the game properly or the game does not have appropriate properties.
2.2.2 Impacts of games on learning
2.2.2.1 Games create a pleasant environment for an effective learning process
Many researchers believe that language games in the English classroom bring “a joyful and relaxing atmosphere” (Hadfield, 2000a; Byrne, 1991) According to Wrlee (1979, p.1), “games are enjoyable” As soon as the teachers say that the students are about to play the game, most students, especially at a young age, feel excited and the classroom atmosphere becomes lively and bustling Most games, even though they still have rules, are always fun and relaxing As Hadfield (2000a, p.5) asserted “one of the most important reasons for using games is simply that they are immensely enjoyable for both teachers and students.” Byrne (1991, p.19) also states that games are intended to be welcomed whenever they are played The process of learning a second language is often heavy with theory and exercises, but students' stress can be alleviated by the relaxed atmosphere created by games.
Students are said to study more effectively when they feel good. Goodman and Goodman in 2014 suggested that children learn language best in environments rich in opportunities to explore interesting objects and ideas. Games are always interesting and the results are unpredictable, so they create an atmosphere of excitement, which is very favorable for children to discover new things and learn in a very natural way In addition, Ellis (2016) further emphasizes the effectiveness of learning grammar through games because language games facilitate players to communicate using target grammatical
10 structures in a natural and authentic way than This author also believes that at this point grammar is no longer considered meaningless or a set of rules without context, but it will serve as a framework for real communication situations.
2.2.2.2 Games provides meaningful context for language use
METHODOLOGY Án ng nh rưệt 23 3.1 Restatement of research QUESTIONS - - ô+ + +ssEEsseeseeeese 23 3.2 Research approach c1 x11 TH Hư 23 3.2.1 Definitions of action r€S€arCH .- -c- << 1xx ng nnrưệt 23 3.2.2 Principles of an action research .- - -s-cssss + x+ekserseeesreeere 24 3.2.3 Models of an action research - ô<1 vn ngư 25 3.3 Procedures of the research - -.- ôs1 vn TH ng rưệt 26 3.3.1 The stages of implementing language games in the classroom
Context of the reS€aTCH - s11 1E vn ngư 33 3.5 PA4TẨICIDAATIES G1 TH HH 34 3.6 Data collection 1nSfTUIT€TIS 5 <1 E111 11 ng riếc 35 3.6.1 Pre-test and Post- f€SK - sư nrệt 35 E60) ii 8 ae
With the project "Teaching and learning foreign language in the national education system in the period 2008 - 2020' issued by the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam, students start learning English at level 3 of Primary School The set of books the children use is built according to a 10-year roadmap from grade 3 to grade 12.
The middle school in this study, like other public schools across the country, implements the English teaching and learning program according to the above project Accordingly, the number of English lessons per week for 6th grade students - the grade participating in the project - is 3 periods per week In addition to these 3 main periods, students also join 2 optional lessons
33 that teachers can use to help students practice on areas of knowledge they have not yet mastered or to improve skills that have not been focused on in the program such as listening and speaking skills.
Regarding the curriculum, students use the textbook Global Success 6 of Vietnam Education Publishing House in the textbook series from grades 1 to 12 according to the 2018 General Education Program.
There are two specific grammatical features chosen to be taught with games.
Table 2: Grammatical features chosen from the English Global Success for grade 6 part 1
In each unit, one to two grammatical points are included and are taught in one period only However, it is the fact that most of the students struggle with understanding and using grammar correctly within a short amount of time of 45 minutes As a result, the researcher decided to conduct the research in order to enhance the students’ grammatical competence using games, which focus on two following grammatical features: present simple tense and present continous tense. The conduct was conducted in the first semester in 8 weeks.
The subjects of this study were 34 6th grade students at a secondary school in Hai Phong Of the 34, 14 were girls and 20 boys All students have spent 3 years learning English at primary level, starting in grade 3 At the Primary level, children learn mainly vocabulary and simple sentence patterns English grammar is present in the Primary curriculum but is hardly taught in a specific direct way, but often through a communicative situation Therefore, it
34 can be said that when students start in grade 6, they are not familiar with how to learn grammar directly with definitions, explanations and formulas Therefore, they have a lot of difficulty adapting to this change In addition, although English is a compulsory subject, grade 6 students do not face pressure to take exams, so many of them tend to be lazy with learning English grammar, leading to poor grammar ability.
Before this study was conducted, the students were still learning in the traditional way To test the effect of language games on students' grammar ability, the researchers still let students use the Global Success book series but incorporate the game into lessons This thesis will provide findings and conclusions on the application of games to foreign language teaching drawn from experiments conducted on a sample of 34 students of a secondary school in Hai Phong.
3.6.1 Pre-test and Post- test
One theoretical foundation supporting the utilization of pre-tests and post-tests is the principle of formative assessment, which emphasizes the provision of feedback and the continuous monitoring of student progress throughout the learning journey According to Hattie and Timperley (2007), formative assessment plays a pivotal role in enhancing student learning by identifying their strengths and weaknesses and informing instructional decisions Pre-tests and post-tests function as formative assessments, with the pre-test establishing a baseline measurement of students' initial proficiency, and the post-test measuring the progress or changes in skills following the intervention.
Another theoretical underpinning for the implementation of pre-tests and post-tests lies in the concept of summative assessment, which aims to
35 evaluate students’ learning outcomes at the culmination of a specific period or intervention Black and William (1998) describe summative assessment as the assessment of learning outcomes to make judgments about student achievement In this study, the pre-test and post-test serve as summative assessments to ascertain the degree to which project-based activities contribute to improvements in students' speaking skills.
The tests in this research are designed to be equivalent to level A2 in the 6-level foreign language competency framework enacted by Ministry of Education and Training The content and grammatical features presented in the tests are designed correspondingly the content of the English textbook used officially in the school in the research To categorize students, the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training's scale, on which 10 is the highest possible score and 0 being the lowest possible score for a student, was used.
In this study, the first employed instrument was pre-test and post-test. The researcher used the test as an instrument to measure and compare students’ grammatical competence to answer the first research question “To what extent do language games help enhance the grammar competence of sixth- grade learners at a secondary school in Haiphong?” The pre- and post- test were conducted before and after completing the language games in the classroom The researcher compares the average mean of the pre- and post- test to evaluate the effectiveness of the method used Both the pre-test and the post-test have the same format, length and level of difficulty In addition, the p-value was also analyzed to assess the significance of the games on the effectiveness of students' grammatica competence.
The pre-test and post test used in this research were designed and administered carefully In order to assure the validity and reliability of the
36 test, the researcher also consulted two other experienced English teachers in her school about the objective, format, content, rating scale and also the appropriateness of each test item while following the principles of test designing owned by Shahomy (2002) In summary, the objective of two tests is to determine students’ ability to understand and use the grammar points learned. The two grammatical points were tested are the present simple tense and the present continous tense The weight of the test is 100% of multiple choice.
In conclusion, the study aimed to generate reliable and valid results to evaluate the students’ improvement in grammatical competence.
Presenting a strong theoretical base is essential when creating a survey questionnaire intended to gauge students' opinions regarding the integration of games into English grammar instruction The literature on attitudes toward language learning and the usefulness of language games can be incorporated into the theoretical framework Scholars like Hadfield (2001) and Cameroon (2001) offer valuable perspectives on motivation, attitudes, and acquiring a second language The design and interpretation of the survey questionnaire are informed by the theoretical frameworks contributed by these earlier studies.
In this study, all 34 participants were requested to join the survey questionnaires and to answer questions about their opinions towards using games in learning English grammar In other words, it helps the researcher to answer the second research question “What are the attitudes of 6th- grade students at a sceondary school in Haiphong towards the use of language games in English grammatical lessons?” All the items in the questionnaires adapted the five-point Likert scale and the original version of questionanaires was English However, to assure no difficulty and misunderstanding might be caused to the participants, all the items were translated to Vietnamese The
37 translation had to guarantee the original meaning of the English version and the familiar language to children.
In order to test the validity and reliability of the research instrument, a pilot study was conducted Before asking all participants to complete the questionnaires, a smaller sample size consisting of 15 randomly selected students from the experimental class, was used to complete the questionnaires and provide feedback (Kumar, 2019) This approach helped identify issues of the first- version of the questionnaire and allowed rooms for necessary modifications to be made according to the students' feedback By conducting a pilot study, the researcher can enhance the reliability and validity of the research instrument, ensuring that the questionnaire is clear, relevant, and comprehensive in measuring the desired construct (Creswell & Creswell, 2017) The feedback obtained from the pilot study participants contributes to refine the questionnaire and enhance the quality of this research instrument. Having collected feedbacks from students, some changes were made to complete the final questionnaire items.
DATA ANALYSIS AND EINDINGS
Data analysis of the grammar teSts . - 5 <5 5+ £++*ee+seeeezee 44 1 The first cycle (cycle 1)
Through the pre- tests and post- tests for 34 6th graders students, the researcher achieved the data for the study The content of the tests cover the grammatical items they have learned but have been continously making mistakes using, which are the present simple and present continous tense. Each test consists of twenty questions and lasts in twenty minutes The maximum mark of each test is 10
Thanks to the collected data, the researcher has presented details in table 3 The table 3 shows the data collected from the test of the first cycle (cycle 1).
Table 3: The results of pre-test and post —test of the first cycle (cycle 1)
Nl ni Œwl bi = nln Alun Bln eo] œ
Thanks to the collected data, the researcher has drawn the chart (the figure 2 see in the appendix).
From the figure 2 (see in the appendix), it can be seen that the whole group’s mean of post-test scores of first cycle (cycle 1) increased from pre- test (M = 6.41) to post-test (M= 7.00), the difference is 0.59, which showed that students improve their grammar scores through the application of games.
The p-value of the cycle 1 is 000 < 0.05 (table 3), this implies that learning English grammar with games have the significant impact on English grammar competence of 34 participants.
45 pretest Posttest The p-value is 000.
6.41 7.00 The result is significant at p < 05.
The researcher aimed to use tests again to evaluate the impact of changes made in the second cycle The table 5, shows the mean between pre-test and post-test of two selective grammar points of 34 grade 6 students in the second cycle (cycle 2) Students’ mean scores of average marks were analyzed below.
Table 5: The results of pre-test and post —test of the second cycle (cycle 2)
Pre-test Post-test n mn Nl nl Œ 5" ur wl tò _ c|Ị c
From the figure 3 (see in the appendix), It can be seen that the whole group’s mean of post-test scores increased from pre-test (M = 7.00) to post- test (M= 8.26), the difference is 1.26 point, which showed that the second cycle (cycle 2) made progress to their grammar scores after the higher frequency of grammar games in the lessons The results also prove that the students’ grammar competence has gained greater improvement due to the changes that have been made by the reseacher in the second cycle.
In order to address the third issue, all the data were gathered for additional examination and comparison The significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of the two cycles was ascertained using the Paired T- test The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyze all calculations at the 0.05 level of significance The t-value is -11.926 The p- value is < 00001 The result is significant at p < 05 (The table 6), this
47 implies that the implementation of games has the significant impact on
English grammar competence of 34 6" grade students.
Table 6: The Significant difference of the pretest and posttest mean scores pretest posttest The p-value is 00001.
-11.926 7.00 8.26 The result is significant at p < 05.
4.2 Data analysis of questionnaire for the students
The results of students’ responses in close-ended questionnaires after the intervention indicated their attitudes towards games in learning English grammar (Table 7).
Table 7: Grade 6 Students’ opinions on learning English grammar through games in number and percentage ww IS BR
QI = (Motivtaion): Games enhance my motivation to learn English grammar 94.12% 2.94% 2.94% 0.00% 0.00% 100.00%
Q2 (Friendly learning atmostphere): Games Ww = create a relaxing and friendly learning
Q3 (Meaningful context use): Games let me interact in real-life communicative contexts 88.24% 2.94% 2.94%
Q4 (Speaking Confidence): Games boost my confidence in speaking English 85.29%
Q7 (Accuracy): Games improve my accuracy in 2 Por fo fo fo | Ww er | 9 |}! | "| spe | 9 |}! | |
[me [or [ ome [aor using English grammar 91.18%
Q8 (Grammar Improvement): Games contribute Ww — to my improvement in English grammar 91.18%
Q9 (Vocabulary Enhancement): Games help me extend my English vocabulary 85.29% 8.82% 5.88%
From the table above, as all questions received high percentage of strong games with enthusiasm 88.24%
QII1 (Interest): I have a genuine interest in Ww t participating in games 94.12% w = oO _
Q12 (Future Preference): I would like to have more games in grammar lesson in the future 100.00% agreement from participants, it can be determined that almost every students have positive attitudes towards the implementation of games in lesson.
Besides, some specific questions have shown students’ self awareness of their improvement in not only English grammar but also other aspects of English after learning with game- based activties.
To be more specific, the participants' responses for the 12 questions regarding the effectiveness of games-based activities in learning English grammar can be summarized in descending order of total percentages. e QI2 received the highest percentage of 100%, indicating unanimous agreement among the participants that they desired further engagement in games-based activities. e QI closely followed with 94.12% agreement, highlighting the significant positive impact of games-based activities on participants’ motivation to learn English grammar.
Q5 and Q6 also received 94.12% and 91.18% agreement These findings suggest that games-based activities positively impacted participants’ emotional well-being by reducing anxiety and fear of making mistakes when using English.
QII received 94.12% agreement, demonstrating the participants’ genuine interest and enthusiasm for engaging in games-based learning.
Q7 and Q8 and QT received 91.18% agreement as well These findings suggest that games-based activities had a positive impact on participants’ grammar knowledge and the higher accuracy in using English grammar.
Q3 received 88.24% agreement, indicating that games-based activities facilitated the development of participants’ social and communication skills, as they allowed students to expose to real-life context.
Q10 received 88.24% agreement, indicating a generally positive level of enthusiasm among participants for engaging in games-based learning.
Q9 and Q4 had relatively lower agreement percentages of 85.29%. Although this aspect showed a slightly smaller change, it still reflect a positive impact of games-based activities on participants’ vocabulary range.
In summary, the survey reflected that games have a very positive influence on students' English learning in general and grammar learning in particular The students, after reviewing grammar by participating in active games, expressed their high approval of these games Most students agree that grammar games help them improve their English grammar, increase their confidence in using English and increase their interest and motivation in the subject In addition to recognizing the important benefits of games with grammar acquisition, respondents agreed with the benefits of a friendlier
50 learning environment, improved vocabulary and pronunciation Most importantly, they expressed 100% agreement with expecting the regular appearance of games in future lessons.
In conclusion, the statistics proved most students had a positive attitude about games-based activities and this implies that games-based activities have been very necessary in grammar lessons.
4.3 Data analysis of interview with the students
As previously mentioned, the purpose of the interviews was to clarify the questions on selected responses in the questionnaire Consequently, the researcher chose to interview five student samples Their answers assist the researcher in validating the study's conclusions Each person's interview lasted roughly seven to ten minutes depending on the length of students’ answers.
Table 7: Students’ answers on the interview
STUDENT STUDENTS’ ANSWERS ON THE INTERVIEW
1 I am very excited to participate in the games organized by the teacher I always try my best to answer questions I like to play in groups because it's fun to play with my friends I prefer lessons with games to lessons without.
2 I like the game "Who wants to be a millionaire" the most.
Because when we play that game, we get to use fake bills that look like real money and try to make the most money to win by answering questions I found that I also remembered grammar formulas better by answering questions in the game.
3 I feel less shy to speak English thanks to participating in games My friends were cheering and I wanted to win so I
STUDENT STUDENTS’ ANSWERS ON THE INTERVIEW wasn't afraid to speak English I feel more comfortable reviewing knowledge and doing practice exercises when participating in games.
I found that when I played, I was reviewing the grammar knowledge my teacher taught I was also reminded of special cases that were confusing and I paid more attention if I answered incorrectly so I remembered longer During group activities, I was also supported by friends or sometimes I supported others, so we had many opportunities to review knowledge.
I love games So I hope that in the future, the teacher can organize more games like that I am more excited about the lessons with games My most favorite game is the one on Quiziz I love the sound, the images included and the competive yet very friendly and fun atmosphere when we play Quiziz Seeing our names race on the notification board is really interesting.
The analysis of the interview responses provides valuable insights into the students’ perspectives on games-based activities in grammar lessons and their impact on their language learning The researcher conducted interviews with five students to clarify the selected-response questions from the questionnaire and affirm the findings of the research Each interview lasted approximately 7- 10 minutes. e Question | aim to gain insights into the impact of these interactive activities on the students' overall learning experience The feedback received from the participants expressed a strong appreciation for the incorporation of
52 language games into their lessons, highlighting the positive effects it had on their engagement and motivation According to the students, participating in these games not only made their learning experience more enjoyable but also helped them become more active and enthusiastic in their studies One prominent theme that emerged from the feedback was that They found that playing games created a supportive and interactive classroom environment, allowing them to develop stronger bonds with their friends while simultaneously honing their language skills Moreover, the feedback unanimously concluded that students preferred lessons with games over lessons without. e Question 2 of the survey explores students' genuine interest in games by asking them to share their favorite game and reasons for their choice The analysis revealed a diverse range of opinions among students, with each selecting a game based on their specific preferences Notably, the most popular games were authentic, incorporating realistic tools, vivid imagery, and real-life communication Authentic games immersed players in realistic virtual worlds and captivated them with visually stunning graphics Additionally, games that fostered real-time communication among players created a sense of community and social connection Understanding these factors can guide game developers in creating immersive and engaging experiences that cater to the evolving interests of young participants. e Question 3 explores students’ perceptions of the effect of language games on grammar improvement The responses obtained showed that the students agreed on the positive change in grammar ability after participating in the games In general, the answers contain important information such as: games help increase the ability to remember structures, usage or grammatical cues; The game helps students remember special cases and exceptions In
CONCLUSION - Tnhh, 60 5.1 Recapitulation 0n
Pedagogical implication 1 62 5.4 Limitations of the Study G SG 11111 ng ng ng rưn 63 5.5 Suggestions for further Study - + c + 3x *vseeeerererereerre 64 REFERENCES Án HH HH HT nh TH nh nh tr 65
The results of this research hold important practical implications for various stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, researchers, students, and individuals interested in language learning These implications underscore the advantages of integrating games to enhance students’ grammar competence and foster positive attitudes towards language learning They offer valuable insights for the successful implementation and enhancement of educational practices.
Administrators eOne way for administrators to improve their students’ grammar competence is to incorporate the games into the curriculum They have the
62 power to assign resources, offer chances for professional growth, and establish a welcoming atmosphere that motivates educators to use games. eBy encouraging the use of real materials and technological tools to support learning through games, administrators can give students the chance to participate in relevant and meaningful language tasks.
Researchers: e More research can be done to examine how well games work in various educational settings and contexts They can look into how learning through games affects students’ grammatical proficiency over time as well as other language aspects such as vocabulary, pronunciation. eResearchers can look into the particular elements—like task design, group dynamics, and entertainment—that go into making games effective. Their conclusions can offer curriculum developers and educators evidence- based suggestions.
Students: eEngaging in games can help students become more proficient in grammar By participating in authentic communication scenarios and real-life language tasks, they can also improve their fluency, confidence, and proficiency. eThrough games, students can improve their ability to collaborate and work as a team, foster effective communication, and improve their ability to work with others.
Despite achieving the research aims, this study is not without limitations.
Firstly, the sample of this study was limited to 6th-grade students in only one class (34 students) at a secondary school in Hai Phong The
63 generality 1s limited Therefore, generalization of the results should be made with caution.
Secondly, the study specifically focused on the effectiveness of games- based activities in enhancing the grammartical competence of students, other aspects such as vocabulary, pronunciation were not mentioned.
In addition, the study was conducted in a class in eight weeks so the scope and the scale of the research was rather small.
Although this study has confirmed the positive impact of games on the grammar competence of secondary school students, further research is necessary to expand knowledge in this area.
To begin with, this study only involved 6th-grade students in class 6A2, so investigating the effects of games on students at other classes and at different levels would be beneficial.
Furthermore, this study focused solely on the effects of games on grammar competence, but it would be worthwhile to explore its effects on other language aspects such as vocabulary, pronunciation.
Lastly, the study only lasted eight weeks, while extending the duration of the experiment and incorporating a wider range of digital technology may further enhance students' learning Therefore, researching the effects of different types of digital technology on grammar and language skills would be interesting to investigate
Adeng, L A & Shah, P M (2012) Teachers beliefs and attitudes toward the use of language games in teaching grammar to young learners.
Black, P., & William, D (1998) Assessment and Classroom Learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy, & Practice, 5, 7-74.
Briewin, M., Naidu, B & Embi, M A (2013) Learners of English as foreign language preference for grammar strategies in learning grammar International Journal of English and Literature 4(5): 249-253.
Brumfit, Christopher, Jayne Moon and Ray Tongue (1995) Teaching English to Children: From practice to Principle London: Longman Group UK Limited.
Burns, A (1999) Collaborative action research for English language teachers Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Burns, A (2010) Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching. Routledge.
Byrne, B., & Fielding-Barnsley, R (1991) Evaluation of a program to teach phonemic awareness to young children Journal of Educational Psychology, 83(4), 451-455.
Cameron, Lynne 2001 Teaching Languages to Children Cambridge: Cambridge University.
Celce-Murcia, M (1991) Teaching English as a second or foreign language (2nd).Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Chik, A (2014) Digital gaming and language learning: Autonomy and community Language Learning & Technology 18(2), 85—100.
Creswell, J W., & Creswell, J D (2017) Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach (Sth ed.) Sage Publications.
Crookal, D (1990) Linking Language Learning And Simulation/Gaming New York: NewburyHouse.
Crystal, D (2004) The language revolution Cambridge: Polity Press.
D.T, S (2011) The use of game in learning English grammar Proceeding of Uzbek-Indonesian Joint International Conference.
David, K -H (1989) Inventing and playing games in the English classroom. Oxford:Oxford University Press.
Elley, W B (1975) The role of grammar in a secondary English curriculum Research in the Teaching of English, 5-21.
Glaser, B G & Strauss, A L (1967) The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Strategies for Qualitative Research Chicago: Aldine.
Godwin-Jones, R (2014) Games in language learning: opportunities and challenges Language Learning & Technology 18(2), 9-19 Retrieved from
Goodman, Y M & Goodman, K S (2014) Making sense of learners making sense of written language: The selected works of Kenneth S Goodman and Yetta M.Goodman USA: Routledge.
Greenall, S (1984) Language games and activities Great Britain Hulton Educational Publications Ltd.
Greenall, S (1984) Language games and activities Great Britain: Hulton Educational Publications Ltd.
Hadfield, J (1990) An Collection of Games and Activities for Low to Mid- Intermediate students of English Intermediate Communication Games Hong Kong: Thomus and Nelson and Nelson and Sons Ltd.
Hadfield, J (1998) Elementary vocabulary games Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.
Hadfield, J (2000a) Elementary Communication Games: A collection of games and activities for Elementary students of English Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
Harmer, J (1998) How to teach English: An introduction to the practice of English language teaching Harlow: Longman.
Harmer, J (1998) How to teach English: An introduction to the practice of English language teaching Harlow: Longman.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H (2007) The power of feedback Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112.
Ivankova, N V (2015) Mixed methods applications in action research: From methods to community action SAGE Publications.
Kvale, S (1996) Interviews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing Sage Publications.
Kvale, S (2003) Doing interviews Sage Publications.
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S (2009) Interviews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing (2nd ed.) SAGE Publications.
Learning (3rd ed.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lewis, G & (1999) Games for children Oxford: OUP.
McCallum, G P (1980) 01 word games: For students of English as a second or foreign language Oxford: Oxford.
Nedomova, A (2007) Teaching grammar to young learners Unpublished master thesis, Masaryk University, Czech Republic Retrieved on 28-March-
2008, at URL: http://is.muni.cz/th/44537/pedf_b/bachelor_thesis.pdf
Nguyen, T T H & Khuat, T T N (2003) The effectiveness of learning vocabulary through games, Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 5(4).
Nguyen, T T H & Khuat, T T N (2003) The effectiveness learning vocabulary through games Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 5(4) Available online at http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/dec_03_vn.pdf.
Norris, J., & Ortega, L (2000) Effectiveness of L2 Instruction: A Research Synthesis and Quantitative Meta-Analysis Language Learning, 50, 417-528. Nunan, D (1992) Research Methods in Language Learning Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Nunan, D (1992) Research Methods in Language Learning Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Parsons, R., & Brown, K (2002) Teacher as reflective practitioner and action researcher Belmont, CA:Wadsworth/ Thomas.
Parsons, Rick D., and Kimberlee S Brown Teacher as Reflective Practitioner and Action Researcher Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002.
Patton, M Q (2001) Qualitative research and evaluation and methods (3rd ed.) Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Pinter, A (2006) Teaching Young Learners New York: Oxford University.
Pinter, Annamaria 2006 Teaching Young Language Learners Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Polona,L & Silva, B (2019) The effectiveness of using games for developing young learners’ grammar competence ELOPE, 16(2), 49-61 https://doi.org/10.4312/elope.16.2.49-61
Rixon, S (1981) How to Use Games in Language Teaching London: Macmillan Saricoban, A & (2000) Songs, verse and games for teaching grammar The Internet TESL Journal.
Savignon, S J (2000) Communicative language teaching Routledge Encyclopaedia of Language Teaching and Learning
Schefflerm,P &Cinciala, M (2011) Explicit grammar rules and L2 acquisition ELT Journal 65 (1), 13-23.
Schiff, P (2004) Leading beyond what we know about grammar instruction. English Leadership Quarterly, 27(1), 3-5.
Schultz, P (2002) Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors Across Cultures. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 8(1).
Scrivener, J (1994) Learning teaching Oxford: Macmillan Heinemann English Language Teaching.
Sekelj, A & Rigo, I (2011) Teaching English grammar in primary school.
Sekelj, Ana and Irene Rigo (2011) Teaching English Grammar in Primary School Tabula 9.
Shelly, A.,V (2006) Why Children Learn Faster With English Language Game? Retrieved on September 01,2010 from http://www Learn-faster.org/ English/ ESL-EFL- Teachers
Tengku Nazatul Shima, T D (2012) Enhancing Grammar Using Board Games.
Thornbury, Scott (2002) How to Teach Vocabulary (1) New York: Pearson Education.
Uberman, A (1998) The use of games for vocabulary presentation and revision English Teaching Forum.
Ur (1988) Grammar Practice Activities: A Practice Guide for Teachers. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
Vygotsky, L S (1978) Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Wright, A B (2005) Games for language learning (3rd ed.) New York: Cambridge University Press.
Wright, A., Betteridge, D & Buckby, M (2006) Games for Language
Yolageldili, G a (2011) Effectiveness of Using Games in Teaching Grammar to Young Learners.
Zdybiewska, M (1994) One-hundred language games Warszawa: WSiP.
APPENDIX APPENDIX 1: SAMPLE OF A LESSON PLAN WITH GAMES CYCLE 1:
Sample lesson plan 1 Time: 8 periods
(According to six steps of Papandreou (1994)
By the end of the lesson, Ss will be able to:
- Grammar: Understand the form and the usage of the present simple tense and adverbs of frequency.
- Co-operation: ready to help friends in pair work/ group work.
- Oral Communication: make questions and give answers using present simple tense.
- Kindness: Help classmates to complete learning tasks.
- Attitude: be passionate about learning English
- Teacher: Teacher’s book; flaschcards, website sachmem.vn, posters, laptop, pictures, textbook, lesson plan, TV or projector.
- Students: Pupil’s book, notebooks, workbooks, school things.
Stages/Time Teacher’s activities Students’ activities
Step 1: - Introduce the topic, outcome and |- Engage in a discussion Preparation | process of the lesson about how to approach the (Iperiod) | - Explain the purpose of the lesson activity and the assigned
- Divide class into 5 g,roups of 10 and | topic. let students choose their own team’s | - Encourage students to ask leader to lead the team questions if they have any doubts or confusion about the topics or the activity itself.
- Form groups of five or six students and facilitate the selection process.
Assign a team leader for each group.
Planning | *Aims: to create a warm and friendly
(1 period) | atmosphere in the class at the
1 Lead-in: | beginning of the lesson
T present to Ss the following lines from the conversation in GETTING | - Ss listen STARTED
*Aims To give Ss practice in using the present simple tense in sentences
+ Teacher teaches new words using different methods (situation, realia ) + Check Ss’ understanding of vocabulary.
*Ask Ss to complete task 1 in page 9
- Make sure Ss do this exercise by themselves before they discuss the answers with their partners.
- Ask some Ss to read out their answers.
*Aims: To help Ss practise using verbs in the present simple in sentences and in context.
- Make Ss work on their own Ask them to write the verbs that are listed in brackets in their proper form.
- Ask Ss to share their answers with a partner.
+ If there is time, let Ss work in pairs to role-play the interview.
- Observe and help when and where necessary, and correct Ss 'pronunciation and intonation.
Activity 3 Interactive game: Tic- Tac- Toe
*Aims: Ss will be able to make correct present simple sentences
SHE / COOK STUDY SHE / HAVE DINNER ?HE/
YOU / PLAY | +1/SLEEP | ? YOU / GET UP
- Teacher demonstrates first with one grid and then hand out different ones to students Two teams play against each other with one grid.
- Each team in turn chooses a box they want, but to get that square, they must make a grammatically correct sentence using the information given The objective is to get three of their marks in a row (up, down, across, or diagonally), so they must block their opponent from winning by choosing the right square.
- To make it more competitive, they can steal a square if the other team
Activity 4 To assist students in practicing utilizing the present simple tense and frequency adverbs when asking and responding to questions regarding school
- Ask Ss to work in pairs to make questions using suggestions.
- Have them take turns to make conversations
- T observes whole class and corrects mistakes or offer help when necessary + Note that there are many acceptable answers from student.
- Have Ss participate in class activities and research any gap or need for change during the process.
- Guide, instruct, observe Students while they participate in activities or games.
- Check students’ work and support facilities if necessary.
- Provide direct assistance and scaffold the students by giving comments and suggestions.
- Help them to correct and support their
- Ss listen and take note
- Remind students to use English only to discuss with peers.
- Ask students to work in groups again in order to conclude the final product as being divided into 8 groups.
- Encourage them to constantly use English during activity times.
- Ask them to prepare for their technique such as PowerPoint or technology.
- Observe all activities of students
- Make comments on the students’ endeavorthe and efforts.
- Assess the products based on established criteria assessment.
- Ask students to give peer evaluation form for group work provided already.
- Ask them to present peers’ feedbacks of the group.
- Give peer evaluation form for each member in the group
- Listen to other peers’ feedbacks
- Jot down some tips and comments
- Complete the activities that they have just done
- Make a better plan for the next activities.
(According to six steps of Papandreou (1994)
By the end of the lesson, Ss will be able to:
- Grammar: Understand the form and the usage of the present continous tense.
- Co-operation: ready to help friends in pair work/ group work.
- Oral Communication: make questions and give answers using present simple tense.
- Kindness: Assist partners in finishing assignments.
- Honesty: Be truthful when discussing your feelings and emotions
- Teacher: Teacher’s book; flaschcards, laptop, pictures, textbook, lesson plan, TV or projector ,website sachmem.vn, posters.
- Students: workbooks, school things, pupil’s book, notebooks.
Stages/Time Teacher’s activities Students’ activities Step 1: - Introduce the topic, outcome and process of the |- Engage in a Preparation | lesson discussion about (Iperiod) | - Explain the purpose of the lesson how to approach
- Divide class into 5 g,roups of 10 and let students choose their own team’s leader to lead the team. the activity and the assigned topic.
- Encourage students to ask questions if they have any doubts or confusion about the topics or the activity itself.
*Aims: : to create a friendly atmosphere and have Ss ready at beginning the lesson.
- Show to only the player the sentences that they can mime to their classmates to guess, e.g “You are eating bread and jam.”
Activity 2:GAME WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE
*Aims To give Ss practice in using the present
- Form groups of five or SIX students and facilitate the selection process. Assign a team leader for each group.
- Teacher prepares a million pounds in fake money, such as the kind you use in board games like Monopoly Prepare ten gapped sentences of the target grammar you want to revise on separate pieces of paper.
1) My mum now. a) is cooking b) cooks c) cook
- Have students work in pairs or groups of three or four in large classes.
- The other groups will help as spectators for this round.
- The team with the most money at the end will be named the winner.
Activity 3: GAME Action Charades Aim: Practice using the present continuous tense through a fun and interactive charades game.
- Techer prepare the action cards and place them in a bag or box.
- In each round, a representative from one team will come to the front of the class The representative randomly selects an action card from the bag without showing it to the other students.
- While acting out the activity, the representative should use a sentence in the present continuous tense to describe what they are doing For example, if the action is "swimming," the representative might say, "I am swimming."
Activity 4: QUIZIZ RACE Aim: Test students’ knowledge of usages and formulas through competitive and fun activity
The boys .asesăer (SWIM) IN the pool Now but theu
(usually / swim) in the sea.
- Teacher asks Ss to use their personal electronic devices to log in to the games
- Teacher activates the games and all Ss participate in
- Teacher gives prizes to the 3 top students
- After the game, teacher asks let Ss discuss in groups all the questions in the games to assure students’ understanding.
- Have Ss participate in class activities and research any gap or need for change during the process.
- Guide, instruct, observe Students while they participate in activities or games.
- Check students’ work and support facilities if necessary.
- Provide direct assistance and scaffold the students by giving comments and suggestions.
- Help them to correct and support their understadning.
- Remind students to use English only to discuss with peers.
- Ask students to work in groups again in order to conclude the final product as being divided into 8 groups.
- Encourage them to constantly use English during activity times.
- Ask them to prepare for their technique such as PowerPoint or technology.
- Observe all activities of students
- Make comments on the students’ endeavorthe and efforts.
- Ss listen and take note
- Assess the products based on established criteria assessment.
- Ask students to give peer evaluation form for group work provided already.
- Ask them to present peers’ feedbacks of the group.
- Give peer evaluation form for each member in the group
- Listen to other peers’ feedbacks
- Jot down some tips and comments
- Complete the activities that they have just done
- Make a better plan for the next lessons.
TEST (PRE cycle 1) This test is designed and conducted to find out students’ competence towards the implementation of games in grammar lessons to develop grammatical competence for students I appreciate you co-operation in completing this test. You can be sure that any discussion of the data will not reveal your identity.
You have 15 minutes to complete this test, kindly read the instruction carefully.
Choose the correct answer ( 10pt)
2 His parents with us at the moment.
3.1 to school by bike everyday.
A are you usually having B do you usually have C are you usually going to have
A Does — know B Is — knowing C Does — knows
7.1 for a car, but I can’t find anything good.
8 Look at the boy near the motorbike! What he with the mirror?
A does — do B is —do C is — doing
9 My brother often goes to school by car, but today he to school by bicycle.
10 I usually shopping with my mother on Sundays.